by Keliana Baker
Description:
Upon moving to California from Spanish West Florida, a spirited young woman wishes for adventure rather than the more proper life expected of a lady. She learns that such adventures often come with a price. Only with Zorro's help, can she have a chance of surviving to fulfill a dream.
Disclaimer:
The characters of Ania Cristina Valdéz and her family, as well as Capitán Francisco Tristán Rodríguez are my creations. If anyone would like to borrow them for their own story, please ask me first and we will discuss it. Zorro, Diego, Don Alejandro, Bernardo, Sergeant García, Corporal Reyes, Josofat, and Tornado are all borrowed from WD and are not my creation.
Dedication:
This story is dedicated to my son, Matthew Baker. It was while hunting for Zorro stories for him that I stumbled upon this wonderful group and rediscovered Guy Williams and WD Zorro. If it hadn't been for his plea to "Write a story for me, Mom," this story would never have been written.
A note from the Author:
I learned a great deal by researching the background of this story. However, when history went one way and the story wanted to go another, I usually followed where the story led. Due to a fondness for the Spanish Colonial period, I have also altered the time line somewhat. The beginning of this story takes place in approximately 1817 and Zorro has already ridden for almost two years.
The Marqués de Casa Calvo was a real person. He was the Spanish boundary commissioner of Spanish West Florida at the turn of the 19th century. Whether he ever owned lands in California is conjecture.
The brand described in Chapter 11 is a real brand. The Wine Cup has been registered with the state of Mississippi as the Baker family's brand for the past three generations.
Thanks:
Due to this being the first fanfiction I have written in more than a decade, it took a great deal of encouragement to bring me to this point. I would like to especially thank the Cat in the Hat for her patience with this novice. I would also like to thank Susan Kite, Sianny Schira, and Karen Powell for their help and encouragement as well. Without you all, I would never have made it.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Epilogue
Table of Contents
